Blessed to be Generous – The Joy of Generosity

You were created to be a giver in all areas of your life. As parents we are often ‘giving’ of our time, attention, money, and more. Nurturing generosity in ourselves and our children takes intention though, so listen in to a few perspectives on how God directs us to be giving and how we can model and teach generosity in our home. 

Discussion Points:

• It’s more blessed to give than to receive – giving out of a cheerful heart
• Giving out of abundance or giving from what you have because others need it more.
• Things we can give – physical things, time, love/care
• Mission-minded – generosity of sowing seeds for the big harvest.
• Ways for families to practice giving:
  • Give money (some of the household income) as an incentive for special work your children do around the home; could be a single project, could be a motivator for learning work, could be for character training
  • Deciding on family giving to organizations or people

Scriptures (ESV):

• Luke 21: 1-4: Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
• 2 Corinthians 9:6-8: The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.
• Proverbs 19:17: Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.
• Luke 6:30
• Acts 20:35: In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
• Luke 6:38: Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”